Edward Elric, I Presume?
by Dragon-Child of Lightning
Summary: A chimera named Joyce Ann has just escaped with a group of others from Laboratory 5. But after Joyce Ann learns more about a world she's only heard of, she wants to set off. Now, in the world and on her own, Joyce Ann will have to find the family she never had but always wanted. This is her story. (OCs belong to me)
1. Chapter 1: Lab 5: aka Hell on Earth

Edward Elric, I Presume?

By Dragon-Child of Lightning

Chapter One: Laboratory 5, a.k.a. Hell on Earth

The place where the chimeras lived was brutal. Regular humans in blue uniforms and white lab coats either executed brutal tests or taunted the chimeras. Even worse, if you messed up, even once, you were tortured or terminated. It didn't matter what species you were made of. And the same went for the human hybrids.

If you were to ask a normal chimera in Laboratory 5 something, most likely they would either ignore you or growl warning. But that wasn't the case for all the chimeras. Just ask Joyce Ann.

Normally, this chimera girl would spend her days in a metal cage or, if she behaved, a cement cell. Either way, she had been here from her first breath. Her mother was rumored to be one of the scientists and gave her up for the crude research they had already started. But no matter what Joyce had tried, her rumored mother wouldn't reveal herself. Joyce was the first of a long line of humans; a few years ago the scientists started on adults that had invaded Ishval; to silence them.

One thing Joyce Ann understood is that she was a rare chimera; one of only a handful who were human hybrids with something else. She knew there were the guys, who were mixes of a cow, a dog, a lizard, and even a crocodile. There was at least one girl, who was half snake. Joyce Ann had never met them, but she yearned to.

Joyce Ann had been stuck in Lab 5 for thirteen years and it was starting to figuratively kill her. The scientists said she had 'dementia' and was soon to be 'retired'. Joyce knew better. The only dementia in Laboratory 5 was in the scientists and military that worked there. Oh Joyce Ann wished she could escape to a better place.

And it all happened much sooner than she ever expected it to.

The scientists were doing some nightly poking and prodding when an announcement came on the speakers in a hushed whisper. Apparently, a short blonde kid with automail had breached into a restricted part of Laboratory 5; the Sacrifice Chamber. And, also, he had an armored associate. Joyce Ann listened up when she heard this. In Lab 5, there were armored guards with no flesh body, but had their souls attached to their own set of armor. There were sometimes even two souls attached.

Joyce had really only knew two personally, the newer Number 66 and the more seasoned Number 48. She did not know either of their original names from when they were human. But, both were, in simple words, a pain in the ass.

But another armor bounded soul on the outside of Lab 5? This was fascinating indeed. Joyce Ann watched as researchers scrambled around, eyeing different equipment to salvage or samples from the chimeras they had been working on just minutes ago; who, which, they were paying no attention to. The other chimeras sensed the danger they were in. Some howled, other whined, while still others growled and barked to be set free from Lab 5.

Freedom; ah, a word few truly knew the definition of. It was a right that only humans seemed to completely control. The ones in power and with freedom controlled the rest of the world as if everyone else was their own personal puppets. Humans had the control; so shouldn't that mean, Joyce Ann often thought, that she should also have a taste at freedom? But the idea quickly fell when she remembered she was only _half_, human.  
And that was once again the question that was going through Joyce's head as she sat in her metal confinement. She was only half human.

The cage Joyce was currently in was a normal sized dog cage being passed by scientist after scientist. Unfortunately, her mutation didn't allow much space. I mean, you would want to have at least a small pen if you had a full size pair of wings and matching tail feathers, right?

All Joyce Ann knew is that her chimera features were thanks to a peregrine falcon, a martial eagle, and a barn owl. With that knowledge, she knew she had superbly beefed up senses, powerful and silent wings, and not to mention a dive that reached speeds 200 miles or more. But when you're penned up for an exceptionally long time, those skills can become rusty.

So, Joyce Ann was stuck watching the scientists and solders scramble out, leaving everything they didn't want; including the chimeras. She knew she had to get out of her confinement, fast; find a way to freedom. If the full humans were going, then something was extremely wrong. Within another minute, everyone was gone. Taking a piece of scrap cloth, Joyce tied her pale blonde hair into a tight pony tail, wincing a little when she pulled her hair too much. The hospital dress, she knew, wasn't going to cut it, if she was to escape. Joyce also knew that the scientist kept extra clothes around in case something burned (which was actually very often).

The closet was only three feet away. _If only I could reach it..._ thought Joyce Ann. But before anything else could happen, another alarm went off; this one a higher pitch and ear splitting. Joyce Ann shielded her sensitive ears while other chimeras screeched, howled, and whined in pain.

Something was moving in the shadows at the corner of Joyce's vision. Looking over at the wispy darkness, a tall, shadowy figure stood. Its teeth gleamed.

"Well hello," the figure said. "Let's get you out of that thing, doll." In a flash, the ghostly figure did what it said; it released Joyce Ann, as well as all the other chimeras.

Joyce was stunned. "T-thank you!" she called in a raspy voice before the figure blended into the shadows, vanishing from view.

Joyce Ann stared dumbfounded at her exodus. Freedom was inches from her. But something was preventing her. What was it; oh yes, it was fear of the unknown and of no experience in the unknown. What was she supposed to do? She couldn't stay, but what could she do? She was useless. But...

Taking a deep breath, Joyce Ann slowly inched out of her dog cage and then sliding off the table her cage was suspended on. The cold linoleum floor felt foreign on her feet. Its smoothness was different from the gritty, dirt ridden floors where physical tests were done on her.

She tried to take a step, only to stagger and collapse. A few more chimeras poked their heads out as well. Being freely let out without a restraint wasn't normal.

Joyce Ann stood up again, this time with more stability. The closet has so close. Joyce finally turned its knob, finding that its contents were just what she was looking for.

"A pair of leggings, a skirt, a shirt, sweater, boots, and a scarf; oh, and undergarments. Well that's good then. Ugh, I hope these fit me," grumbled Joyce. She went into the closet and changed out of her hospital gown into her new outfit. Coming out, she felt the strange material on her. Soft fabrics concealed her skin. They were lovely, unlike anything she'd ever worn before. Joyce skimmed her surroundings and found a fairly good sized trash can. She took her timeworn hospital gown and shoved it in the can. She all of a sudden had a sudden thought on burning the gown as some sort of memorial, in honor of the gown she just threw in the trash and the gowns-of-past who had served their purpose well.  
Joyce Ann saw a few random chemicals lying about on the table and went over to them. Hydrogen peroxide, colloidal silver, benzoyl peroxide, liquid nitrogen, and sodium phosphate were just to name a few. Joyce glanced them all over till she found a simple amount of flammable chemicals. She poured them all into the trash can, grabbed a lighter from a near-by abandoned lab coat, and lit the can on fire. It flashed a simple blue and orange flame that ate the paper thin material of the hospital gown till it was all gone.

"Now, which way out?" the chimera girl thought out loud with her hands on her hips. "The exit and entrances doors all look the same." Joyce Ann turned to the nearest door of maybe-freedom. "Worth a shot." And with that, the chimera girl step through it and into a black hallway, leaving the other chimeras behind.

Like I said, the hallway was dark, almost pitch-black, except for a few dim, flickering light bulbs. She could hear the clang of metal overhead. _So that's where the Sacrifice room is, eh? Great; now I know to avoid it, _thought Joyce Ann.

Slinking in semi-darkness wasn't Joyce's favorite thing ever, especially since she had always been blind folded when escorted threw here. Joyce shivered, feeling a sense of unease sweep over her. Laboratory Five was simply a horrible place.

Joyce Ann paused. Voices. She heard voices. And they were coming from up ahead.

"You'll free us officially? And that means?"

"Why should we even trust you?"

"Because I'm the only one here who knows what's going on. Am I not right?"

"Sure but still, how do we know we can trust you?"

"...This is going to take a while."

"Oh come on! I freed you and I say follow the guy! I'm leaving and no one is goin' to follow me!"

Five voices, four male and one female, spoke up with questions from, what Joyce Ann depicted, a small crowd. Her super senses picked up every little detail until the room came into view. The room was lined with jail cells had only one row of bright lights that nearly semi-blinded the chimera girl. Pillars that separated the cells were broken and the fallen rubble gave Joyce a place to hide. She jumped behind a pile of broken cement before anyone could see her. In the room stood a small group of human chimeras, a strangely dressed man in black, and Number 66.

"Look," the man in black tried to explain. "If you come with me, you'll be free of Laboratory 5 forever. No more experiments, no more being poked and prodded. The place is already coming down as it is. So, what do ya say?"

Joyce Ann's eyes widened. A way out of Lab 5; what luck! Joyce smiled, almost squealing in glee. This man was providing a possible way out of "Hell on Earth!" But, trying not to reveal herself, Joyce calmed herself and listened.

A big man in a blue uniform and carrying a sledgehammer spoke up. "Alright, so let's get this straight: we go along with you and be free, and we help and protect you from your supposed enemies, right?"

The man in black grinned a toothy smile. "Yep."

The only female in the room finally spoke. "Honestly it sounds like a good deal; we get out of this hellhole and we're body guards. Loa, Dolcetto, what're your opinions?" The man in the blue uniform grunted and another in white and with a sword nodded with a smile.

In the shadows, Joyce Ann smiled; but it quickly disappeared when one of the chimeras lifted its head, the one with the sword.

"Hey, someone's here," the swordsman said, sniffing the air. Joyce Ann froze in place and stopped breathing. She knew exactly who that "someone" was. The hybrid girl shivered, feeling something rise up from behind and noticed that the man in black had vanished. _Where'd he go?_

Another shiver, this time going down her spine, over took her. Joyce gasped inwardly, and then turned slowly. A tall, dark figure loomed over her, causing Joyce Ann to cry out and stumble back from tripping over the pillar and into the light. She covered her eyes in pain from the sudden shock of light.

"Well, hello doll," the man cooed. "Look who's finally out of her cage."

"So that's who it was. Should've guessed it was Chimera 1," said the swordsman.

Joyce's eyes grew in size. She was surprised they knew who she was. The fact was though; Chimera 1 had a reputation around Laboratory 5 as being very powerful and had the only wings. Not to mention, unlike many of the others, she couldn't hide her mutation inwardly since it was an external mutation.

"You- you're the one who released me?" asked Joyce Ann.

"Why yes." The man raised his left hand, revealing a tattoo of a serpent like dragon eating its own tail. "The name's Greed; I'm a homunculus who was trapped here like all of you chimeras."

Joyce knitted her brow, thinking. Then, "Is that why you want to help us?"

The man named Greed smiled. "Yes; or at least 'yes' to a point. So, what's your decision; stay and die, or come with me to freedom?"


	2. Chapter 2: Sacrifice

Edward Elric, I Presume?

By Dragon-Child of Lightning

Chapter Two: Sacrifice

Joyce Ann blinked surprise. "What do you mean stay here and die?"

"Isn't it obvious?" the swordsman Dolcetto asked dryly. "Those regular human bastards left us here to die; didn't you watch them pack everything in sight? Those scientist morons would leave here without us. Besides, most are dead already so Lab 5's tracks are covered."

"Well, I get that. But still, we're human; well at least half human," Joyce Ann said.

"That's just it, only half human. They think we've lost our humanity." Then he added more quietly, "If you ask me, they're the ones who've lost their humanity."

"Look," Greed interrupted; slightly irritated the subject was off topic. "You're all welcome to follow me, that's all I'm saying. Or you're also welcome to rust up and die in these cells. Again, your choice."

"And if you do go, stay off my tail!" Number 66 stated. "No one is coming with me."

"We get it," grunted Loa. Then the big man turned to Chimera 1. "Look kid, you understand that no one in this room is normal and that's why we were all left behind. Get it?"

Joyce Ann nodded.

"Ok then; so then you will be coming. It's final." Loa shifted, scrapping the sledgehammer against the floor.

Joyce was surprised. She didn't expect them all to except her so easily; she even expected some friction. But, being taking in with open arms? Yet another new experience.

"To be honest, I thought it would take me longer to fit in since I'm kind of an outsider."

"Like I said, you're of us," Loa stated again.

The snake woman named Martel asked, "I'm guessing then that you don't have any outside experience do you…"

"Joyce Ann."

"Joyce Ann. Well, am I right about that?"

"Yes you're correct on that. I've been imprisoned here my whole life."

Martel nodded understandingly. "How old are you kid?"

"Thirteen."

The other chimeras gasped or whispered little things. Chimera 1, the 'oldest chimera,' the first successful human chimera, was a mere child.

"Uh, pardon me miss, but we, uh, kind of expected you to be older," the half-lizard named Bido asked.

Joyce Ann blushed. "Well, I am tall for my age." The girl then shook her head. "I say though, why is Number 66 here?"

"Ah, well, I released everyone else," answered the suit of armor proudly.

"You set off the explosives," Greed said flatly.

"Then why was I the only one left?" Joyce Ann asked bluntly as she crossed her arms, unamused with the bodiless armor.

Number 66 raised his hand as if to say something, but stopped. He mumbled something inaudible to almost everyone.

"All right, enough of this," Joyce Ann stated, unimpressed by Number 66's answer. "Are we leaving this dump or not?"

Greed, who had come back around into the light, smiled. This teenager was perfect. She was so naive and inexperienced that Joyce Ann was the perfect pawn; she was going to be a fun experiment. _Ok then,_ thought the homunculus. _This will be an interesting experiment._

* * *

The air ducts of Laboratory 5 were a cramped and crowded place to be. Martel felt right at home though; the tight spaces made her snake side figuratively purr with delight. Not to mention she was just very used to any tight spaces. But Joyce Ann, the snake women noticed, was not quite as content in the air ducts.

Greed had ordered the bigger chimeras who couldn't fit into small places to follow Number 66 (but not **follow** him) to make a direct beeline out. It was more risky, but it more simple then shoving Loa threw the air ducts and have him crash via gravity. Everybody minus Number 66 would meet right outside the Lab's outer wall and make a run for the Devil's Nest, an old hand out of Greed's.

The ones currently in the vents were Greed, Martel, Joyce Ann, Bido, Dolcetto, and two others named Lychee and Geo; in that exact order.

Bido talked casually and the others responded quietly as if this were normal day. Joyce Ann stayed silent though; one, she was too shy to make friendly talk, and two, the crowded space of the air ducts made her feel nervous and jittery. Neither her bird side nor human side liked packed spaces.

"Not too good with close spaces, huh Joyce Ann?" Martel asked, taking notice of the girl's fidgetiness.

Joyce Ann nodded. "No. Cages were never this bad. But they were cramped. I was lucky though; a lot of the other, newer, experiments were locked in much smaller cages with barely any room. I'm glad my cage wasn't any smaller." She paused. "I must sound so uncanny right now; getting all worked up over a stupid cage."

"I hate say it, but you do. So you've never been in the outside world?"

"Well, I've been outside in a court yard; does that count?"

"There was a court yard?!" Geo asked. He was merged with rhinoceros, meaning he liked having to have a lot of space (Yes, he could fit through the tunnel like vent; he had a common, "nerd body," to say.)

"I wish I got to play in it," Lychee whispered. She was only sixteen when she joined the army; now a full grown woman and chimera at twenty. She was blended with a monkey, making her very agile.

"The scientists conducted ghastly tests and such on me there," Joyce Ann said bluntly.

"Oh."

"On a different note," Greed piped up. "Joyce Ann… so you're the oldest chimera, right?"

"Well, yes. I was given the avian DNA when I was merely two weeks old. My mother was said to work there and donated my egg to be experimented on through the years.

"When I was fertilized, I was transferred to a test tube and that's where I developed. After I was born, thanks to my stupid photographic memory, I remember everything. I don't know who my mother or father is though; or were. Many scientists were eliminated for human sacrifice after I was born; a way to hide evidence and create another imperfect Philosopher's stone. An ironic way to die for them. Anyway, if they are still alive, I haven't heard any news about them because I was kept very ignorant; that way I wouldn't be smart enough to escape.

"What's even funnier, I know a pretty high level of alchemy. So I could have used that to escape, but, I don't know how many people I would hurt if I had escaped back then. All I know is that I'm very valuable to the military and their stupidness.

"But what I hated doing the most was being force to create imperfect Philosopher stones. I never complied with their want, but I was many a time in the Sacrifice room. The scientists always hoped I would do it. But… with a clear conscious, unlike them, I felt so sick whenever someone tried to make me take a life like that."  
The escapees were silent for a moment after. The other half humans felt sympathetic toward Joyce Ann; even Greed was silent as he processed the information Chimera 1 had just spoken_. It's most certain her parents are dead,_ thought the homunculus.

"I say, you're very proper when you speak," Greed pointed out after a moment of thought, wanting to change the subject.

"I've been stuck with scientists; what do you expect?" Joyce Ann shrugged. The end of the tunnel came up fast after the conversation was finished. Greed kicked out the vent covering the opening. The escapees jumped out one at a time, Martel helping Geo and Dolcetto down (when Dolcetto tried to get down, he just hung their saying 'help!' And Geo was afraid of jumping and said, 'rhinos weren't meant to jump!')

After everyone was safely on the ground, Greed led the pack towards the outer most wall to escape. As promised, everyone but Number 66 was there.

"Now that I can get this out of my system," Joyce Ann said, taking a deep breath. "LAB 5 IS HELL ON EARTH! I HOPE IT CRASHES AND BURNS!" Joyce Ann ranted and spat a little more about how much she hated Laboratory 5. The others stared at her for a bit in confusion; or pride. Whatever the emotion was, none of them followed in her footsteps, afraid of attracting to much unwanted attention.

Still a bit shocked at Joyce's sudden outburst, Martel asked, "So I guess you _really_ hate Lab 5?" She could relate.

"You bet," sighed Joyce Ann. Starting to sneak away with the others, Joyce Ann felt a tingling in the back of her mind, like she had forgotten something.

Then it hit her.

"Oh no, I left her!" Joyce Ann whisper shouted.

"Forgot who?" Martel whispered back.

"Free-Wing, the Peregrine falcon who's DNA was used to create me! I have to save her!" Joyce Ann twirled around and rushed back over the outer most wall to the air vent to retrace her steps.

"Kid!" called Loa, giving chase. Martel pursued as well with Greed on her heels (he honestly didn't know why); Dolcetto sighed and gave chase as well, feeling in debt to protect the homunculus who had helped him escape.  
The four ran back into the Lab since it would take too much time to chase after the chimera girl threw the air ducts. They dashed threw the torn front of the building (curtsy of Number 66). When the first air duct came into view, Martel stretched up and called into it. Joyce heard the snake women's voice and scurried towards her acquaintance's voice. Once out of the vent, the three chimeras and homunculus glared coldly at Joyce Ann.

"Kid, you can't just run off like that; it's too dangerous to come back here," scolded Loa, his sledgehammer still at hand.

"I'm sorry, but I owe her my life," mumbled Joyce Ann. "She's the only bird of prey still alive that gave me my mutations. She's… just very important to me."

"Who?" Dolcetto asked who hadn't heard Joyce Ann's reason earlier.

"Free-Wing, a Peregrine falcon who's DNA was used to create me along with the martial eagle and barn owl. The other two died due to other experiments, but Free-Wing stayed a trooper and survived. I owe the bird my life basically."

"Wait; weren't you literally combined with an animal like the rest of us? And how do you have more than one mutation?"

"No. The original way of creating a chimera was through DNA transformation and transition and alchemy. But when it didn't work right for the next few chimeras, they switched to the more brutal and cruel way of creating a chimera; how you were made. And, I don't really know why I have three types of birds of prey DNA in me. They stopped after me because no one else could survive having more than one type of animal in them. Go figure."

"That makes sense. I mean that's what scientists do; when at first they don't succeed, they try, try again till its right," Martel said.

"Or at least their type of right," Loa said.

"Still, what were you thinking? It's a stupid bird," Greed said.

Joyce Ann started to walk away. "Look, I can't really explain it but- Wait did you call her stupid?! Excuse me but Free-Wing is one of the most intelligent creatures here! UNLIKE YOU!" Joyce Ann turned heel again and ran down the hall.

"Way 'da go," Loa grunted. He started after Joyce again.

"How should I have known she would've been offended?" Greed defended, shrugging in surrender. The four adults chased after the youth with not as much vigor as her, for Joyce Ann was still on a self-made mission.

Far off shouts alerted Greed that they were not alone in the building just yet. _If _they're_ here, then we have a problem_, thought the homunculus. Soon enough, all four caught up to Joyce Ann, who had skirted into another room. This room was like most of the others; barren, lifeless, and grey. All except one cage was empty. In this one cage was a bird. Its blue outer feathers collaborated nicely with the under feathers, which were black and white. Its intelligent yellow eyes caught a view of the others in the room; when it saw Joyce Ann, it squawked in delight.

"Well I'm guessing this is the infamous Free-Wing," Dolcetto concluded, bending down to get a closer look at the beautiful bird of prey.

"Yes, this is she," Joyce Ann responded, releasing Free-Wing from her cage. She stroked the bird's feathers with care. If Free-Wing could've, she would've purred.

"Now that we have her, can we go?" probed Martel impatiently.

"We probably should," Joyce Ann blushed. Free-Wing noticed her thin hair was falling out of place from stress. The falcon hopped onto his chimera friend's shoulder. Suddenly, a rumble sounded around the group.

"What was that?" asked Greed.

"I've got a bad feeling," Dolcetto half growled, half muttered.

"Uh, I hate to tell you guys this, but the way we came is blocked," reported Loa, who had poked his head out of the doorway momentarily.

"What do you mean blocked?" Greed demanded.

"Blocked, barricaded, jammed, gridlocked. What else would I mean?" Loa explained.

Martel and Dolcetto groaned in unison and Greed pinched the bridge of his nose. Joyce winced slightly; they were all stuck here because of her. Guilt plagued her mind. Of course, Free-Wing, feeling her shame and guilt, nudged her half-human friend. Free-Wing was indeed intelligent (whether or not Greed admitted it.)

"Well," Greed said stretching. "We should at least try to find a way out of here."

"Like that's going to happen," huffed Dolcetto.

"No, we should at least try," Joyce Ann said quietly.

"Really? Ok then; you got us into this, you can get us out!" Dolcetto hissed in reply.

"Hey come on now," Greed said smoothly. "Let's find a way out and then you can yell at her."

_Gees, thanks_, Joyce Ann thought. The four oddballs (plus one falcon) walked leisurely out of the doorway, taking a look at their now cement ridden exit.

"Yikes, what could've caused that?" Martel whistled.

"Alchemy," Joyce Ann replied simply, to really no one (even though Martel had asked the question). Joyce walked over to the rubble, placing a pale hand on it. "This was created by alchemy. Who ever made this collapse was very talented; they made something compress at an alarming rate. In doing this, they created a bomb. With what… I can't tell."

"So you can tell how it was done, but not with the elements that made it?" Greed asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, so?"

"Never mind. You said you can use alchemy; obviously, none of us can use it. By any chance can you move the rubble?" Greed gestured to the crumbled part of the building.

"Sure; it's easy!" Joyce Ann took a piece of chalk from her jacket pocket (she had found it the room Free-Wing was in) and began to draw a transmutation circle. It was of a simple yet elegant design that curled neatly unto itself. Free-Wing traded Joyce's shoulder for Loa, giving Joyce Ann space to transmute.

"I've never seen one like that," Greed said in awe.

"It was created specifically for me. You won't believe this, but I tried so many other circles and I couldn't "connect", per say, with them. So I developed one myself. It was quite easy actually." Joyce Ann finished the transmutation circle and put the chalk back in her pocket. The others stepped back as Joyce activated the circle. Silver light glowed from the circle and it transmitted into the debris. With the ceiling and floor repaired, the chimeras and homunculus and falcon walked silently till another hole in the floor came into view. A satin red glow and voices came from the hole, the glow creepy and the voices a mixture of people.

"Another?" Loa asked.

"And the process starts again," Dolcetto sighed.

They all went over to the gapping and jagged hole and stooped down to hear what was happening (none of them wanted to be seen). Listening, Joyce Ann heard what was going on.

"…And if you cooperate, both you and your brother will have your original bodies back," A female voice said.

"NO! I won't take the lives of these innocent people!" said another.

"What's innocent about them; they are condemned prisoners of the state. Why do you think they're here in the first place?" Another voice, one somehow familiar to Joyce Ann, spoke.

"That doesn't matter! They're still humans; you may think they're insignificant but mean something in this world, even if their part is small!"

"But you would be able to see your brother's smiling face and you would rid the world of these criminals."

"No; even if I did, their souls would still be in the stone!"

"Brother…" someone said this as if they were in a metal bucket.

A new voice entered, whispering instead of speaking loudly like the others. Joyce recognized this voice instantaneously and her eyes widen in horror. "Edward, think of what you can do with the stone!"

"All you care about is getting Nina back; but guess what, she isn't coming back! She's dead! Her soul is not in this world!"

Joyce gasped, catching on to the subject. She felt as if she would hurl.

"What the hell are they talking about?" Dolcetto whispered.

"No clue," Martel shrugged, also whispering.

Greed, like Joyce Ann, knew though. He frowned and set his jaw. His "siblings" were after something so stupid he almost burst out laughing. But, when he saw Joyce Ann's horrified reaction, he knew to hold his tongue. _She knows this all too well._

"We need to help them," Joyce Ann choked out.

"Which party?" asked Loa.

"I- I don't know."

"But we can't," Greed stated.

Joyce looked back at her acquaintance. "And why not; why should we just sit here and let them all die?!"

"Because we can't do a thing. Our hands are tied from the fact that we don't have the upper hand in this situation, and we need to evacuate the premises anyway. Military personnel will be coming for the pipsqueak down there and his brother."

Joyce Ann, finally looking at the situation below her, saw the faces and figures that spoke up and talked. There was a short boy down below with blonde hair, (Joyce Ann guess it was the intruder from earlier), a group of huddled and scared looking prisoners, three strange looking people (one female, the others male), and a suit of grey armor with red… eyes? Joyce couldn't tell.

"We can help them," Joyce said again.

"No. We. Can't!" Greed hissed. "What part of "can't" do you not get?!"

"Exactly that! I've sat around doing nothing for too long and," Joyce Ann choked down tears from a hard memory. "I have to do something!"

But, not wishing to upset her new friends further, Joyce Ann only watched as the blonde's tired looking face seemed to fall from hard decision. She started to cry; she knew what his decision had turned out to be.

"Fine; but I'm only doing this for Al," the short boy spat.

"That's a good Pipsqueak," purred a strangely dressed boy; he seemed a few years older than Joyce Ann and his hair reminded her of a tree she had seen in a book called a palm tree. Before, when Joyce had only heard his voice, a twinge of familiarity came into her mind. Now she wasn't quite sure it was the same boy from when she was a child; he looked exactly the same as before, when she met him the first time. But, his name was lost in her mind.

Before Joyce could place names to faces, the floor started to close up. Cement was transmuted and put into place once more as the blue light of a normal transmutation took place. And the boy was gone, the floor closing around him.

Joyce Ann felt sick; a mere child, someone just a little older then her, was going to transmute humans. _Humans_. Of all the things to transmute, that practice was forbidden for many reasons. Joyce knew all too well those reasons.  
_The outside world is just like in here then,_ Joyce thought. _Hell._

* * *

The five, after a while more of walking, did come across military personnel, just like Greed predicted. They were very easy to take out though, not expecting the chimeras to be humans (well, that's what Greed proposed). On their way out, they came across a one of the prisoners; this prisoner just happened to be a former State Alchemist.

"Looks like a straggler," Greed said. The prisoner gave the group a strange look, but otherwise said nothing. Joyce Ann wondered if he was one of the prisoners from the Sacrifice Chamber. If he was, then this would mean he escaped or the blonde shorty didn't transmute the condemned detainees. She shuddered, the thought still fresh in her mind.  
The prisoner, Joyce Ann later found out was Solf J. Kimblee, the former Crimson Alchemist. She had heard of him, but never too much; all she knew of him was that he was a murderer in the war against the Ishvalians. Greed, for some reason Joyce Ann couldn't figure out, invited the alchemist to join the five (well six) on their escapade out. Kimblee accepted. Later, Joyce would find out he was a valuable asset.

All of the escapees did finally make it out, meeting once more by the wall. With everyone there finally, the new gang bolted.

Dublith wasn't very far away from where the band currently was. They would exit soon enough, to Greed's relief; he hated Laboratory 5 just as much as the chimeras did. But, wither he would admit it or not, was actually worried about little Chimera 1.  
Joyce Ann's earlier reaction had tipped Greed off that she knew more about human transmutation then she led on. Even though Joyce had said she was forced to do human transmutation, she never complied; but then why was she so terrified if she never had to do it? Greed's only guess was that she had to watch it play out when she didn't do it. Watch her own kind be consumed into a red stone.

When Greed turned his head, making sure his new minions were following, he saw Joyce's depressed face facing the ground.

_We're going to have to teach her,_ he thought. _And it isn't going to be easy._

* * *

Author's Note:

Hello!

Ugh, I'm so sorry to those who are following this story; I got writer's block near the end of this chapter, not to mention I'm still working on my other stories.

I'm writing a new fanfic and hope to soon get the first chapter uploaded.

Until then,  
DCoL


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